It is racer mentality verses cruiser mentality. If you use a gate valve verses a ball valve, the potential is there for a stuck closed valve and causing sever issues. How bad would determine the thru hull. I have done research on the topic because I want to know exactly my choices and the cause of my actions for doing or not doing. I came to the realization, if there is a hole pumping 400 gallons a minute of water into my boat, everything will be lost or ruined in a short period of time. Because I am not racing, it would be unknown if anyone could ever find me before I died at sea. So, I would feel more comfortable knowing I am doing everything I can to preserve my life. I am not doing just day trips, my plan is to see the world and I am fitting my boat as such, a world cruiser. My investments will not be lost just because I did not want to spend extra time/money fitting every safety item possiable. I do safety checks of my boats prior to any outing. It only takes a second to verify all thru hulls overare open/closed as needed. It also only takes a second to close them if the need arises. By that time, the boat may have 1,000 gal. of unwanted water inside? At least, it will not be on its way to the bottom of the ocean.
I actually have NO idea what you are trying to say with all of this, but I can tell you that your first sentence is dead wrong. And misleading.
While racers care more about performance and lightness, offshore boats (like ours) have safely as a #1 priority. Beyond our own personal sense of responsibility for the safety of the boat and (8) crew, we have to follow and maintain the boat and gear to meet a strict set of OSR (Off-Shore Requirements) that dictate everything from the location of the holeplugs, emergency steering, first aid, dewatering, rig cut-away, primary and backup comms, MOB kit, etc, etc, as well as mandated training including at least 1/2 the crew having take US SAILINGS Safety-at-sea 2-day seminars. Most solid cruisers end up doing the majority of this stuff as well, just in a less structured way.
We both race and cruise our boats (over 10k miles in the last 5 years) and I can assure you the boat is much safer because we race, not less.
Can I respectfully suggest that you talk less authoritatively until your words are backed by actual on-the-water experience, and not just internet searches?
